Turn this dreadful moment into a graced moment

nice work, Father

Beautifully said. I wish we had more priests like you.

Well said Fr Ryan. As someone who has kept sheep for decades I know that a shepherd is not much use without a Border Collie. The National Catholic Reporter is, like a good sheepdog, guiding the flock in the right direction. My old dog Nev saved my life when I was attacked by an angry ram. The NCR is helping to save the life of the Church from attacks by rampaging bishops and cardinals.

Thank you for this beautiful and truthful piece. It seems that a corner has been turned. I feel it; I think I read it. Not forgiveness...yet; not a weariness of disclosure and defence, but a more serene inevitableness of reform demand and expectation, a beginning which hierarchy must join or be overrun. I forget his exact words but the senior Irish cardinal pleaded: is there any place in the reform for those who have been wrong. Yes, yes but not in a restoration or only bleaching of the systems and attitudes of the past. "Odium plebes" is one sharp edge of the the "sensus fidelium", the other is "hope".

I have found myself lately so incredibly disturbed by the crisis in the church...not the sex crisis per se. Long ago I grieved over the sex crisis. But now the crisis is with the leadership at all levels in the church and for me, the worst part is becoming aware of politics trumping honesty and humility. I am saddened by the realization that we are led (not totally but mostly) by a group of men who are no different from what I experienced in the large corporations in America...a group of men who are leading from power and are self-serving.

Luke tells of Jesus commissioning of the Twelve: "Then Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. He said to them, 'Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money - not even an extra tunic.'"

Wouldn't it speak a truly contrite message to the world if our Bishops put away their regal garb and served in soup kitchens, in work with the homeless, etc. as a way of publicly speaking contrition? And since we are all "church" we all might join them in penitence.

When I read and reread the next to the last paragraph in Fr.Ryan's homily, I cry for what could be. This is the leadership Jesus intended to create. This is the leadership that could make a difference in our world and in our church.

And finally for the Fr. Michael Ryans and the Archbishop Brunetts of our church I am so incredibly grateful and proud. I thank them for their leadership in both civil and religious areas and applaud their courage to speak out. I thank Fr. Ryan for his beautiful homily.

Thank you, Fr Ryan. This article needs to be in the hands of all Catholics and others who are troubled with these issues and are unsettled in their minds about what the Church should and should not do.
Blessings
sceleste

Michael Ryan has hit one nail squarely on the head:

Much of the adversarial relationship between Church leadership and survivors has been caused by the leadership's insistence on remaining firmly in control. I can't think of any cases where a bishop or religous major superior has said, humbly, to survivors or their advocates "Tell me what you need me to do" and then done those things.

Instead, they attitude has been to say "These are the things we are putting in place; you should now be satisfied.

That is unfortunate, for if there is anyone who understands the mindset and behavior of the abuser when he or she is "in" his or her abusive modality, it is the survivor or the advocate who has wide experience of working with survivors. The abusers may not have allowed their collegues, bishop, or religious superior see that part of their persona.

This, in great measure, is why SNAP and other organizations continue to be critical of the measures taken by Church officials to curtail future abuses.

Bishops and superiors need to understand that this is not something they can "fix" without the advice and consent of the laity, and in particular the portion of the laity comprised of first-hand abuse survivors and their advocates.

They need to lose their seeming obsession with "controlling" the situation; after all, it is their attempts to control scandal that got them into trouble in the first place. As with the first of the twelve steps, they need to admit a certain powerlessness over the situation and to realize that they cannot overpower it themselves. They need help, from above and from below. The sooner they admit that, the better off we will be.

Thank you for your prophetic message, Fr. Ryan.

God has certainly blessed us Father Ryan- with you! Thank you for walking the walk and being such a wonderful shepard for us here in this archdiocese.

Now HERE is a man who should be ordained bishop!

My wife and I were privleged to hear the homily in person. It is nice to see it in NCR.

If only the pope would read your sermon and follow it!! Thank you for being honest enough to admit that the church has made some serious mistakes and needs to accept responsibility for them.

Wonderful homily and an insightful explanation of a new model of Church leadership for the hierarchy is described in paragraph six. I have come to the conclusion after much reading and reflection that this sexual problem/sickness is not just a church problem, but there are deeply rooted behaviors and attitudes in the Church's male hierarchical model of governance that for too long have prevented and side-stepped the honesty and humility Father Ryan describes as the start of the conversion process for our shepherds. Any system of governance that allows power to exist without meaningful forms of accountability and checks is doomed to face scandal(s). For centuries the Catholic Church's hierarchy has been closed off from real and meaningful advise and guidance from the very faithful they are called to serve. The array of suggestions Fr. Ryan puts forth need to be heeded by all the bishops up to the pope himself and quickly and fully implemented. Then, at last, the cries of "too little, too late" or "they still don't get it" may be silenced when at last our shepherds demonstrate the authentic servanthood and poverty of privilege modeled by our Good Shepherd, Jesus.

Fr. Ryan again shows us what it is to be a servant leader. His homily brings alive hope in the Spirit. The apostles trusted the Spirit to help them speak truth to power. So must we all respond like Peter in discipleship, transforming power in a new truthful way. God leads creation. We cannot leave our part in it to failed leaders. Believers deserve better than that and we have it. In the third Sunday readings it is the Spirit who confirms the truth of the "good news." We must respond to the Spirit, available to all.

Thank you , Michael, for once again addressing an important pastoral issue in our Church with courage and insight. I hope your previous essay regarding the proposed translation of the Sacramentary is producing positive results. Fraternally, Tom

Father Michael Ryan's homily touches my heart because it comes from his heart. His plea for acknowledgment of the Church's failures and the importance of finding a path back to what Jesus was teaching are appropriate. Where the path goes--or ends--is yet to be determined.

For the past four years I have been doing research on and then writing a novel about humanity's spiritual yearnings. There have been a few shining moments of spiritual regeneration, some of which lasted several hundred years; but the unfortunate reality is that the masters who came to our planet to assist us were only marginally effective in bringing about the peace on earth we all long for. Why that is our unfortunate reality is a major theme in my novel.

Nevertheless, for those who are so inclined--or have "ears to hear", as Jesus put it--there is hope for pulling ourselves out of the spiritual quicksand we have created for ourselves.

I have said here and whatever else I have to say on this subject in my novel which turned out to be a 643 page mannuscript. It is a novel with an interesting--and sometimes thrilling--storyline which is an entertaining platform for my views on humanity's struggle for spiritual fulfillment.

It can be purchased in a Digital Text Platform (DTP) (for downloading to your computer or to other mobile devices) at Amazon.com/books.

TITLE

THE MICHELANGELO DECEPTION

BOOK DESCRIPTION

The deceptions Michelangelo painted into the Last Judgment fresco--in the Sistine Chapel--are real. This novel is a platform for bringing this stunning revelation to light. For almost 500 years the artist's trickery has lain hidden in the painting behind a facade of what appears to be a representation of Christ's Second Coming to judge the living and the dead . . . but that is not what it is!

What are the deceptions? Why did he do it? Who was deceived? These are the questions answered by our protagonist, Maria Martinovna Luderenko. She is a Russian girl who is adopted by an American farm couple from Minnesota where she becomes a victim of child molestation by a priest and is accused of murder. After a near-death experience, he path takes a surprising turn that leads to a life-threatening encounter with a cabal of dissident Catholic clerics and Italian Mafiosi who are conspring to get rid of a reformist African-American pope.

There was a deep hush in St.James on Sunday morning when Fr. Ryan's last words,"Follow me", drifted over us. Maybe the first of many graced moments.

Father Ryan

Thank you for this clear message.

That too many in the church have been intractable in their unwillingness to accept the "blame that lies squarely with the church" has caused this grave wound to the whole church, not just Roman Catholics, to fester and spread. It is disgraceful that so many in the hierarchy of the Vatican kept likening the cries for truth and justice as attacks against the pope and the church. During Holy Week some made comparisons between the persecution of Jesus to the criticism of the pope. I could compare Benedict to Jesus if he were to receive the anger with compassion and help those watching to understand the anger is just. Perhaps if he were willing to meet with more than a couple of survivors or address the group who will be in Rome in October to ask for reform. If he were to give a full account of his own actions and sacrifice his position of power as an act of love and penance for the whole church for the rape of children by grown men. Then I think one could say he tried to be like Jesus.

As a Seattle area Episcopalian I know your work also to be in the pursuit of justice. This fine homily is one in a multitude of examples.

In the Risen One

If the church let go, and followed in Peter's footsteps... the water would run again. The secular would have a channel, a candle would be lit that would gently lead the way. Because a hard, denying, defensive church that only speaks the word distances and divides. And people who hold on to power at all costs, in the name of the Lord, break down faith and destroy. Thank you Father Ryan.

Would that this were preached in every church. Thanks, Mike, for your prophetic leadership. Harry NAC '64

Is it too late?

Rome has circled its wagons and appears to want to fight to the death, right or wrong. Sure there's a few PR spots from the Pope (it's easy to meet with survivors and shed a few tears when your way of life is seriously threatened).

It's also all too easy to read this as extreme cynicism. But like, is it paranoia if you are truly being stalked so is it cyncism if your evaluation is accurate?

From our lay side we can't tell the good priest from the bad priest as far too many lay people know a 'wonderful priest' who has been legitimately accused. What's worse, if we've followed the history of the scandal at all, we know it makes more sense to presume a Bishop is a bad Bishop and not a good one.

Trust has not only been broken but obliviated in a nuclear explosion of all that we've ever been taught as Catholics. And we all know if we've ever studied Theology that a prerequisite to active Faith is Trust.

I am glad to see this effort begun; but I was just as glad to see Voice of the Faithful form in the early 2000s. VOTF missed its moment of opportunity; I don't know why but I do realize that it points out just how entrenched and determined the hierachy's opposition to change truly is.

In my opinion, the possibility of quiet schism is as high as it can get. By quiet schism I mean members of the RCC will quietly go about practicing their own rubrics and rituals while ignoring guidance from the hierachy. Some may even start to say Mass in their own homes for their own families if the changes proposed in the Liturgy are actually implemented.

I just do not beleive, as much as I want to, that there are going to be widely accepted solutions within a short time frame. I predict guerilla type religious warfare for many years to come.

There is one hope, one way for Rome to move forward and try to prevent changes as devasting to religion as the Reformation (the more one studies the Reformation, the more I believe it becomes apparent that it never needed to happen; nor did the separation between East and West). Rome becomes locked in its policies, good or bad. Starts to yell and scream excommunication when what is really needed is better communication.

In my opinion, Rome's best decision now would be to call for a truly Ecumencial Council bringing together East and West, Lay and Protestant, Oriental and Asian, including Islamic and truly try to learn from each other. The risks? High, very high. The other choice is for Catholicism to become a cult; a marginal cult-like leech peddling Hope but not a better quality of life to the poor and impoverished of the world.

Your archdiocese is very fortunate indeed, to have you as a priest! Now, I bet you'd make a heck of a good husband? (I'm married to a former priest!)What are your thoughts on married priesthood and women priests? Might as well deal with other tough issues. Let's get them all out on the table and behave like responsible adults. Leaders and members alike working towards the kingdom...wouldn't that be refreshing?
Thanks, Fr. Ryan. Keep up the good work!

I am sorry I can't be as complimentary as the rest of the commentators Father.I am an old Catholic convert [AGE 12]that has been completely devestated by what we NOW KNOW TO BE TRUE about the Roman Catholic Church.

I was the best RC anyone could be and was RCIA,CCD, Eucharistic Minister, Magnificat ministry to women, Legion of Mary etc., a GREAT APOLOGIST. bUT NO MORE.

We left in 2001 on our 50th wedding Anniversary; We could no longer drive the get-a-way car in these CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY. We are both 80 yrs. young.We have many progeny.

I have done my research and found that in the canons of the Church and the Laws of our Nation, too much has gone under the bridge to ALLOW THIS, SO CALLED CHURCH, TO be still relavant to my Christianity.

I BLOG EVERY DAY TO LET PEOPLE KNOW HOW VERY COMPLETELY THEY HAVE BEEN HOOD- WINKED, GENERATIONALLY BRAINWASHED ETC. I WISH THIS RCC TO be ABOLISHED AND THE PEOPLE IN THE PEWS TO LEAVE BEFORE THEY LOSE THEIR SOULS.

You can rationalize all you like with pretty bibical words but SPIRITUALLY MURDERING children and marginalized adults is to me the UNPARDONABLE SIN THAT JESUS SPOKE OF. THE SIN AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT.

THAT'S ALL THE PRECIOUS ONES HAVE IS THE HOLY SPIRIT AND IT'S BEEN TERRORIZED FROM THEM.THEY LIVE LIVES OF UTTER ABANDONMENT BY THEIR GOD THAT THEY SO LOVED TO BELIEVE THIS HOLY MAN WHO HEARD THEIR CONFESSIONS.

NO OTHER CHRISTIAN CHURCH ASKS OF IT'S PEOPLE, WHAT THE RC ASKS... IT'S NOT WHAT JESUS EVER SAID AND NOT BIBLICAL.YOU HAVE BEEN GENERATIONALLY BRAINWASHED, JUST LIKE THE REST OF US. NO MORE...I LOVE CHRIST MORE THAN THE INSTITUTION.

Well said Father Mike:
Does the organizational Church have any idea how many of us, faithful followers of Christ who continue to follow our culture and worship as Catholics, feel such a sense of outrage at those in power that were a movement of commited Catholic Christians crying out "enough" to present itself we might indeed find a new place to call home? We are the church; Rome seems to keep forgetting that. I for one no longer believe that the Church can claim my soul. My faith has evolved and I truly believe that the Christ who loves me and who I love deeply would be saddened by and indeed shunned by the hierarchy that is supposed to be His representative on earth. It is "Brothers Karamazov" - Grand Inquisitor - all over again. And I want no part of it.

Father Ryan, your comments were "on the money", hopefully they will be well taken in the church.

Michael Ryan on Seattle Washington stated, "It's hard to be deaf to the growing number of voices of faithful members of the church, into a 'Kairos' a graced moment -- a moment of self-examination.

1 On the way the church carries out its sacred mission,
2 The way the church exercises power,
3.The way the chooses leaders and holds them to account.
4.A call for(greater) transparency in the church; for
5.A call for a (greater) voice in church governance and decision-making for lay people, (including women)
6 For leadership( Bishops), to admit 'their' mistakes where they've been made and humbly beg forgiveness.
These are voices we should heed.
"Here is the 'voice of one such dedicated Cathoic, Hans Kung'!
With the church in deep crisis, this is my appeal to you, venerable bishops:
1. Do not keep silent.
2. Set about reform.
3. Act in a collegial way.
4. Unconditional obedience is owed to God alone.
5. Work for regional solutions.
6. Call for a council."
It would be a unique situation if those with power gave it up, or even shared it without a struggle.
In the history of monarchies, power was not relinguished without armed struggle
the Vatican is a quasi-monarchy, though with an 'elected' head
I suppose we should be asking the question at this time; 'what does the Holy Spirit want?
What we really need is a new "Pentecost'; a wrestling of the Spirit!
Michael Ryan says that "despite their intentions, instead of speaking for God they have sometimes spoken -- and acted -- all too humanly."
Alas, if the people with authority had acted in a truly human way, like Christ, they would not have subjected their flock to abuse and degradation, but would have put an end to it immediately they heard of a complaint, and so prevented the ensuing scandal

For two thousand years the Church has been adding doctrine to maintain power and control. The powers in Rome have changed things such as free will to original sin so they could bring us salvation, ordain men to be Persona Christi so that they could transubstantiate, added apostolic delegate, made themselves infallible, and the list goes on. When the Church goes back to the simple request that Jesus made of loving the Father, loving one another, and doing this in rememberance of me we will have gotten back to the concept of the fact that there are no Jews or Greeks, slave or free, men or women, only one humanity in the arms of a loving God. Those who build a fortress on a mountain of sand can only expect to be washed away.

Fr. Ryan tells it like it is. Why don't our bishops do that? Notice the number of positive comments on his homily! He is a priest of integrity and honesty. AA good example for all our bishops to follow if they are ever to become good and faithful leaders. Our people are waiting!!!

Pax. Aristophilos

Fr. Ryan's sermon was nice, but G. Bullough - you said it even better!

Mike,
I think you are too kind. Why would we want to be deaf to the many voices calling for us to turn this dreadful moment into a grace filled moment? Why do we need for honesty to COMPEL us that the church not just too often but REULARLY put its perceived interests ahead of the flock. Not just at times but REGULARY allowed institutional interests to eclipse the most basic human rights of the Brothers and Sisters of Jesus.

Don't water it down Mike. Now is the time to tell it like it is and to assert God's justice as the only true guide for the People of God.

Thank you Father Ryan.

I agree with "In the Risen One." This is well stated, Fr. Ryan.
I am a cradle Catholic and have always been proud of the Church's
progress in the Spirit since John XXIII and Vatican II. However, in
light of the sex scandal and how Benny XVI has handled (or not handled) it,
and the papal attempts to reverse the liturgical progress of Vatican II (I'm also a liturgist/musician for the Church,) I am very disappointed and frustrated with our leadership. I hope the true Church (the laity) soon steps
up to the plate to reform our leadership. We are the ones who enable this monster with our money and loyalty.
The idea of top-down papal hierarchy
is not how the Church was organized in the early centuries. Rather, this model of leadership was self-proclaimed by early power-hungry men who were competing with state rulers for power.
Does the Episcopal church have a job for me? I'm ready to go where married clergy and women priests are welcome!

Well said.

John 15:2 talks about pruning away every barren branch, and even trimming the fruitful ones clean so as to increase their yield. There appears to be a number of barren branches in the church hierarchy, and perhaps some fruitful ones that need to be pruned as well, so that the church can increase its yield.

Thank You FR. Ryan. God has blessed you and us. This is the first time I have read the comments on this topic and not found a hateful, judgmental response from someone. Have we really found a way forward?

Thank You FR. Ryan. God has blessed you and us. This is the first time I have read the comments on this topic and not found a hateful, judgmental response from someone. Have we really found a way forward?

Father Ryan,

Thank you. This was a beautiful homily.

Please let us now cleanse our Church from all the feudal garb-red and white satin gowns, miters, sashes et al. and return to the simplicity of Jesus. That would send, as one other has said, a true message of change.

A very UTOPIAN starting point to the DYSTOPIAN DILEMMA of ALL contemporary organized religions - Roman Catholicism in particular:
"-- a moment of self-examination on a whole array of things: on the way it understands and carries out its sacred mission, the way it exercises power, the way it chooses leaders and holds them to account. These same voices also call for greater transparency in the church; for a greater voice in church governance and decision-making for lay people, including women; and for a greater willingness on the part of church leadership to admit mistakes where they've been made and humbly beg forgiveness."

Unfortunately, NONE of these items were on the menu at the Pope's 5th year anniversary party, catered by the Cardinals of the Curia:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iDpXy6HweP7qzzYrAYjdT-...
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/04/19/world/main6410852.shtml
http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/religion/Pope-Marks-Fifth-Anniversa...
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6409096n&tag=related;photovideo

Memo to Sodano:
Read this homily and reflect on your PUBLIC statements over the past week.
YOU are part of the problem, not the solution.

Very good homily, Father Ryan. Wish I'd been there to hear it. I'm struck, though, by the sentiment that "the Church" must admit its sinfulness and repent, do penance. That idea speaks volumes about the root problem that we face; when the clergy is found to be so wrong, so out of touch, so bound up by corruption and vice, the idea that "the Church" is at fault grates on the ears of one who believes in the precepts of Vatican II. It is clear that the hierarchy feels that it is "the Church", or ideas such as this would not be promulgated. Did the laity sin in these incidents? I don't recall being involved. But "the Church" must do penance. This seems just another way of diffusing guilt so that the real culprits slip away in the crowd. Or is it true that "the Church" has sinned, with the laity guilty of not exerting its power (whatever power the laity has) before things got this bad? How were we to know the facts when the hierarchy exercided its power to cover things up?

I believe that the call to make this a moment of grace is one that involves deep soul searching in all of us, hierarchy and laity alike. If there is to be one Church, one "People of God", then fundamental shifts in the sharing of power and responsibility must be made, and self-serving statements of "the Church's" guilt be shelved forever. These sins were committed by the hierarchy, who should be held to strict account; anything less will be a shirking of the duty of the laity.

Thank you so much, Fr. Mike, for your words and your example!

The majority of victim/survivors of sex abuse by priests of the Archdiocese of Seattle would not give the same high grades and self-congratulation that Father Michael Ryan bestows upon his archbishop and their predecessors. The Archdiocese of Seattle has been all too willing to throw money at the problem - for example meeting a survivor in a Starbucks coffee shop and giving him an envelope with a really big check inside to keep him quiet. They hired an ombundsman to deal with survivors - a lawyer who did not disclose this fact to the survivors who haplessly went to the Church for help. She got critical information from the survivors and transferred this data directly to church-hired lawyers in case the survivor decided to bring a lawsuit. Survivors were given counseling sessions only to have them cut off after so many visits. Survivors who took their cases to court were run through the meat grinder by church-hired lawyers who intentionally re-traumatized them and made them relive and re-experience the abuse all over again. One survivor who brought suit against the AD of Seattle ended up taking his own life. His devout parents are still shattered by the whole series of events. This history of interaction with survivors is not "pace setting" in any positive sense of Christian compassion or compunction for the lives shredded by Seattle's priest predators. Ryan has been part of this system for years, crafting the same predictable hopeful rhetoric.

This homily delivers some of the finest cool aid I've heard for a Catholic community in vertigo due to the revelation of the Pope's material complicity in the sex abuse cover-up on an international basis. Hope is not a strategy, and the hope for change that Ryan floats to his listeners is ephemeral and specious. It's the same ineffectual conviction that so many church reformers cling to in their mantra of "keeping the dream of Vatican II alive" while JPII and his partner Cardinal Ratzinger spent years deconstructing and thwarting the mindset and true implementation of the Council into empty words and lost potential.

The Vatican is good at pushing false hope while being vindictive to those who doggedly refuse to let them slide. A year from now, things will unfortunately be more or less the same in the Roman Catholic Church because their system of engendering religious codependence is so wickely effective. They are sitting on a mountain of money, and they can always threaten to close any parish that challenges their supreme authority.

In that same year's time, my job of meeting with newly emerged survivors and their families, helping them to find some measure of healing and justice, will be the same too. The potential for abuse is the same because the Vatican continues to successfully sell the Faithful on the belief that it can effectively police itself - just as it has in the past.

Maybe Father Ryan will find a way to turn his lofty words into action that brings real change. And maybe he won't. But you can always hope...

John Shuster
Local Coordinator
SNAP Seattle
www.snapnorthwest.org

Fr Michael Ryan,

I sincerely do Hope We "ALL" can and will "Turn this dreadful moment into a graced moment".

***************** Enough Talk, We Need A Lot Of Action. *********************

You and your Brethren first need to acknowledge and take Responsibility & be Accountable for What has been done to the "Little Ones" whether by "Commission or Omission".

Lets Face the Facts and own up to the Truth if we are ever going to "Turn this dreadful moment into a graced moment".

You say, "despite their intentions, instead of speaking for God they have sometimes spoken -- and acted -- all too humanly".
***No Father that is NONSENSE, "They acted in ways of Criminals, In-HUMANE Criminals".***

Look What Your Brethren have done to their own Victims, which at the time were only Innocent Children...
http://www.co.suffolk.ny.us/da/press/pdf/DRVC%20GRAND%20JURY%20REPORT.pdf
Here are Excerpts of a Grand Jury Investigation of the RCC here in N.Y....

- "The evidence before the Grand Jury "clearly demonstrates" that Diocesan officials agreed to engage in conduct that resulted in the prevention, hindrance and delay in the discovery of criminal conduct by priests. They conceived and agreed to a plan using deception and intimidation to prevent victims from seeking legal solutions to their problems."- Pg.173
- The victims who testified about their history of sexual abuse at the hands of priests in the Diocese painted a stark picture of the anguish, pain and humiliation they endured.Pg. 96
- Victims were deceived; priests who were civil attorneys portrayed themselves as interested in the concerns of victims and pretended to be acting for their benefit while they acted only to protect the Diocese.-Pg.106
- Aggressive legal strategies were employed to defeat and discourage lawsuits even though Diocesan officials knew they were meritorious.-Pg.106
- Professional treatment recommendations were ignored and dangerous priests allowed to minister to children.-Pg.106
- These themes framed a system that left thousands of children in the Diocese exposed to predatory, serial, child molesters working as priests.-Pg.106
- “It’s not my responsibility to worry about the boy(victim). My job is to protect the Bishop and the Church.”-Pg.172
- "Within Diocesan circles the Office(Office of Legal Affairs) and it’s handling of cases involving the criminal sexual abuse of children, was applauded."

Other Grand Jury Investigations of the RCC were done in Boston Ma., Manchester NH., Philadelphia PA.,Portland ME.,Rockville Centre NY.,WestChester NY., Ferns Report on the Irish Diocese of Ferns,The Ryan Report on Irish Residential Institutions,Commission of Investigation: Report into the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin and soon Germany and countries around the world will Investigate and Un-Cover what the RCC did to their Children.

"Lets Face the Facts and own up to the Truth and take Responsibility if we are ever going to "Turn this dreadful moment into a graced moment" !

***************** Enough Talk, We Need A Lot Of Action. *********************

Like a friend once said....

"If You Are What You Do And You Don't...What Are You" ?

Tim Walsh - Scandalized in N.Y.

It is time for all concerned Catholics to step away from the sidelines and take the necessary steps to not only save the church from its now deplorable situation, but to take ownership in a renewal that will bring it back to its roots...the church that was founded on the first Pentecost...the church of the apostles. Only if there is a grass-roots swell of condemnation against those involved in the many instances of abuse and cover-up, will the church begin to regain its credibility and stop what could become a mass exodus of the faithful...a scenario which the hierarchy either do not foresee or more sadly, care not about. When Jesus called on Peter to take over the keys of the kingdom of Heaven, he also said that the gates of Hell would not prevail against it. The forces of evil are at work both within and outside the church. They can not expect to win; the Church will survive. It has done so for more than 2000 years. For the Church is not Rome or the Vatican, or any number of buildings. It is the Body of Christ on Earth; in other words it is you and me and any who profess Christ as Lord. The Church has become so institutionalized that for some it has taken the place of God. Would Jesus, who lived so simply, washed his disciples feet, and warned that those who scandalized the little ones should consider throwing themselves into the sea with a millstone around their necks...even recognize what his church has become? It is time for every one of us to take action, searching our consciences to determine what we must do.

One of the "places we'd sooner not go" is to an honest acknowledgment and ownership of the homosexual nature of the abuse crisis. No, that does not mean that homosexuals by definition abuse children. But it does mean that the Catholic crisis was not heterosexual or asexual. Nor was it predominently pedophilia, which is the current word of the moment used as cover for the unmistakable truth. The abuse of teenaged minors was blatantly homosexual in nearly all cases. That is where we must go, to the truth. No other place is worth a visit, even when it does not guarantee a soft landing.

At last, at last: we have a leader, one who calls for the breath of the Holy Spirit of the Creator to sweep over the lands again, one who calls the ordained leaders back to the Church once again. Hans Kung has published an open letter to the bishops of the world calling for radical reform. I don’t think the Bishops understand that while the current turmoil was triggered by the clergy’s sexual abuse of children and young people, it has been deepened and broadened by the clerics’ coverup, denial, and direct actions taken — including actions by JPII — against those same victims.
And now it is too late to turn back. ALL bishops have been damaged — by their silence if nothing else. And we in the pews have been paying attention and now wonder about the wisdom of the entire teaching charism of the Church — one which the men in red silk have taken entirely upon themselves. We know that the abusing priests are stunted in their psycho-sexual development, still childlike themselves in their in their understanding of sexuality, gender, and holistic social development. How can it be then that their theology, their declarations on morality, on creation in the world itself be anything other than stunted as well? The “crisis” –I think it is now an “opportunity” instead — the opportunity now is to unite the Church — and we ARE the Church — around a fulfillment of the Vatican II documents and to breathe life into our Church once more. The Holy Spirit has already done her job by throwing back the curtain and revealing the feeble clerk who is lost in the world. Thank you, Hans Kung. [Care to join the Facebook page re Kung’s letter? http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=114780715217560

While I echo the sentiments of Fr.Ryan is there really any denial by the magisterium about what is going on? Five years ago the Pope talked about the filth in the church. Who is denying there is a problem? Who is saying that it wasn't handled poorly, even diabolically by some?

Are we not now asking for more scrutiny? Didn't Archbishop Dolan ask to "bring it on" in terms of scrutiny? What are the concrete steps that are needed that have not already been taken?

You say, "despite their intentions, instead of speaking for God they have sometimes spoken -- and acted -- all too humanly".
***No Father that is NONSENSE, "They acted in ways of Criminals, In-HUMANE Criminals".***

Look What Your Brethren have done to their own Victims, which at the time were only Innocent Children...
http://www.co.suffolk.ny.us/da/press/pdf/DRVC%20GRAND%20JURY%20REPORT.pdf

Grand Jury Findings...
Excerpts :

- "In a memo to another high-ranking Diocesan official it is suggested, “ that no serious consideration will be given to offering him another assignment in our Diocese” (Grand Jury Exhibit 184) In the Diocese of Rockville Centre, a priest who molests children should suffer no disgrace but one who advocates on their behalf risks banishment". -Pg. 114

- "The victims who testified about their history of sexual abuse at the hands of priests in the Diocese painted a stark picture of the anguish, pain and humiliation they endured".Pg. 96

- "The response of priests in the Diocesan hierarchy to allegations of criminal sexual abuse "was not Pastoral".-In fact, although there was a written policy that set a pastoral tone, it was a sham".-Pg.106

- "The evidence before the Grand Jury "clearly demonstrates" that Diocesan officials agreed to engage in conduct that resulted in the prevention, hindrance and delay in the discovery of criminal conduct by priests. They conceived and agreed to a plan using deception and intimidation to prevent victims from seeking legal solutions to their problems."- Pg.173

- "Abusive priests were transferred from parish to parish and between Dioceses".-Pg.106

- "Abusive priests were protected under the guise of confidentiality; their histories mired in secrecy".-Pg.10

- "Professional treatment recommendations were ignored and dangerous priests allowed to minister to children".-Pg.106

- "Aggressive legal strategies were employed to defeat and discourage lawsuits even though Diocesan officials knew they were meritorious".-Pg.106

- "Victims were deceived; priests who were civil attorneys portrayed themselves as interested in the concerns of victims and pretended to be acting for their benefit while they acted only to protect the Diocese".-Pg.106

- "These themes framed a system that left thousands of children in the Diocese exposed to predatory, serial, child molesters working as priests".-Pg.106

- "this evaluation had resulted in a caution to the Diocese, that Priest K could not be “psychiatrically cleared” to return to ministry".-Pg.108

- "Later this priest was diagnosed a pedophile; his behaviors had previously been described in one evaluation as “predatory”".-Pg.109

- "When he observed children in Priest D’s rectory room he did not speak to him about it since he wasn’t the pastor".-Pg.109

- "Even those priests who were directly involved in the Diocesan response to priests accused of sexually abusing children, and who were also members of the Board, did not share what they knew about priests with their colleagues, because they felt the information was confidential".-Pg.110

- "It’s not my responsibility to worry about the boy(victim). My job is to protect the Bishop and the Church".-Pg.172

- "Within Diocesan circles the Office(Office of Legal Affairs) and it’s handling of cases involving the criminal sexual abuse of children, was applauded."

- "Even though the original purpose for the Office of Legal Affairs was to protect the interests of the Bishop, the Diocese and individual employees, intervention team members who were attorneys, always met with both the priest abuser and his victims."-Pg.117

- "The proposal contemplated that "funding for the Office of Legal Affairs would come from the Bishop’s Annual Appeal". (Grand Jury Exhibit 14F,p.19) -pgs.115-116

- "The Grand Jury finds that the Diocesan practice of evaluating priest/abusers was fatally flawed".

- "A general failure of supervision from officials of the Diocese, to individual pastors and other priests living in rectories, compounded and perpetuated these violations with devastating consequences for children".-Pg.5

- "He envisioned an office that would protect the interests of the diocese, as well as offer advice and counsel to priest perpetrators of child sexual abuse".-Pg115

- "At one point, when the other priests were out on an errand, Priest A confided in the boy, who was now 15, that he wanted to engage in oral sex".-Pg.8

- "The priest told the parish pastor what Priest B had been doing, he was told to “mind his fucking business".-Pg.13

- "The culture of the Diocese was one of secrecy and obfuscation. Diocesan officials purposely withheld information from parishioners and from their own priests and pastors".-Pg.94

- "Victims were deceived; priests who were civil attorneys portrayed themselves as interested in the concerns of victims and pretended to be acting for their benefit while they acted only to protect the Diocese".-Pg.106

- "The Diocese failed to follow the policy from its inception even at its most rudimentary level".-Pg. 106

- "These officials boldly bragged about their success and arrogantly outlined in writing mechanisms devised to shield them from discovery".-Pg.106

- "Diocesan policy was to expend as little financial capital as possible to assist victims but to be well prepared for the possibility of enormous financial and legal liability. Aggressive legal strategies were employed to defeat and discourage lawsuits even though Diocesan officials knew they were meritorious".-Pg.106

- "These themes framed a system that left thousands of children in the Diocese exposed to predatory, serial, child molesters working as priests".-Pg.106

- "Until that time none of the boys had told their parents about Priest B, even though one of the boys was feeling depressed and at times suicidal".-Pg.13

- "The Grand Jury finds that once a priest was authorized for an assignment, there was no mechanism for the Priest Personnel Assignment Board to learn anything about him, except what was publicly available, even though the sexual abuse of a child is a crime under both civil and canon law".-Pg.111

- "Most children did not report the crimes against them until long after the criminal statute of limitations had lapsed. Those who did were promised help, but received little. Instead, they were ignored, belittled and revictimized. In some cases the Grand Jury finds that the Diocese procrastinated for the sole purpose of making sure that the civil and criminal statutes of limitation were no longer applicable in the cases".-Pg.95

They acted all too humanly?? NON-SENSE Fr.Ryan, NON-SENSE ! !

Father Ryan bring healing to a world in need, Thank You Father. I hope we find more priests like you.

Mike:

A really nice job! Your writings, sermons etc. are pro
voking a lot of excellent thinking.Hopefully, it will continue.Bernie Lonergan would be as proud as I am.Take good care! Incidentally, I lost your e-mail address

When you are in uncomfortable position and have no cash to go out from that point, you would have to take the mortgage loans. Because it should aid you emphatically. I take collateral loan every time I need and feel myself OK just because of that.